Promenade
by assimilates
Summary: Haruka's a Preventer, partnered with Duo Maxwell. Things go smoothy until Michiru arrives with her husband. Now, the FBI has captured Haruka and the worst is yet to come... [paused]
1. Prologue

**Promenade**

By: Camigwen

- Prologue -

She growled in annoyance, giving her eyes a good roll as well. The future world was such a bitter place, so unlike the one she had grown up in - they had grown up in. Only now, they were gone. Everyone else had left this green planet and return their ones of origin.

Only one senshi remained out of the original nine that were sent to Earth by Queen Serenity so long ago. Herself, Haruka Tenou, Sailor Uranus.

Back on Uranus during the days of the Silver Millennium and Serenity's reign, the citizens had a great dislike for the royal family, blaming them for every problem that arose. In truth, it was partly the royal family's fault, for Haruka's _real_ father had been cruel and selfish - a true tyrannical monarch. Because of that fact and out of hate for her family and the blood in her veins, Haruka had decided it was best she not return to Uranus.

She'd kept in contact with the other senshi for a while after, but eventually the all stopped writing - even her once beloved Michiru, the senshi of Neptune. Shortly after Michiru had returned to Neptune, she'd met a Neptunian man whose father had been a knight in the Royal Guard at the Triton Palace before the end of the Silver Millennium. The two had, surprisingly, fallen in love quickly, and Michiru had thought it best to end her long relationship with Haruka.

During Eve Wars of AC 195 and Mariemaia's show-stopping number in AC 196, Haruka had lain low, hiding from the world, not wanting to be dragged into yet another fight, having spent most of her immortal life doing so. Yes, she was one of the Earth's guardians, but she was only meant to guard and protect it from outside forces. These matters were strictly between the Earth and it's Colonies.

Now, nearly eight years later in the year AC 203, the senshi of Uranus stood a few feet away from the main entrance to the Houston Preventer base. She herself didn't quite know exactly what possessed her to join the Preventers a few years ago, but the main reason was boredom. She was beginning to feel a bit useless and wanted to help keep this nice peace they had going, even though she had a hunch that it wouldn't last for very long, despite Relena Dorlain's efforts.

Catching a glimpse of her watch, she strode forward and climbed the stone steps of the entrance, pushing the swinging glass doors open with both of her hands. Her nostrils flared and groan emitted from her throat the moment she stepped in as she spotted that annoying Private Hawkins making a b-line for her.

She made her way around the corridor and quickly ducked into a nearby by office, shutting the door behind her. She was in no mood to be putting up with Hawkins' persistent begging today. The man had been stalking her, trying to convince her to put in a good work for him with Lady Une. Always so desperate to climb the Preventer rank ladder. Haruka scoffed - Hawkins would get that promotion the day Setsuna turned the Gate of Time into an amusement park.

Fat chance.

Her emerald eyes peered through the small window on the door, watching with amusement as Hawkins glanced around with eminent confusion for a bit, before giving up and walking away. She sighed in relief, turning around and pressing her back against the wooden door. Next time Hawkins came to her with his begging, she was seriously considering finding out what her senshi attacks would do to a human - namely, him.

"Hiding from someone?"

Haruka gasped and nearly hit the ceiling. She hadn't realized someone was in here! In her haste to avoid Hawkins, she had spaced out and forgotten that usually a person resides in an office.

When she didn't respond, the person behind the desk glanced up from his paperwork and opened his mouth to say more, but Haruka had promptly vanished. He blinked and shook his head, returning to his work.

------

Haruka materialized insider her own office two floors up, embarrassed and angry with herself for teleporting. It was a stroke of luck that the office's owner was too engrossed in his work to notice a tall blonde disappearing in a flash of blue light.

Sighing heavily, she plopped down into her nice, comfy chair behind her desk. A slight smile spread across her features as she realized that her teleporting stunt was the first time she'd used her abilities in nearly three years. The last time she'd accessed them, she was retrieving her keys from her car after she absentmindedly locked them in.

However, that had been simply telekinesis, an ability that comes naturally to most Uranians. She hadn't even begun to tap into her powers as a senshi. Perhaps one of these days she'd transform again and test her powers out on an abandoned colony, just to see if she retained any of the skills she once had after this long period of not using them.

The computer beeped, signaling an incoming e-mail and pulled her out of her thoughts and back into reality. Curious, she grabbed hold of the mouse and opened her inbox and the new message.

She froze.

It was from Michiru. She was to be paying the Earth a visit in three weeks time - with her new husband.

------

**To be continued...**

_Sailor Moon is © Naoko Takeuchi. Gundam Wing is © Yoshiyuki Tomino._

8.13.02 revised 9.22.04


	2. Chapter 1

Promenade 

By: Lady Camigwen

-Chapter 1-

Duo Maxwell struggled to keep his eyes open as the meeting continued. Bored, he glanced around the room at the other people at the table.

Mr. Perfect Soldier, Heero Yuy, sat up straight with his arms folded, eyes wide open, fully awake. Or so it seemed. Duo could've sworn that the guy could sleep standing up **and** with his eyes open as well.

Trowa Barton starred off into space, his mind obviously wandering. Quatre Raberba Winner blinked and leaned his head on one arm, trying his best to stay awake. Chang WuFei, on the other hand, had conked out five minutes into the meeting along with, shockingly, Relena Dorlian.

Besides Heero, the only other person that appeared to be wide-awake was that girl. What was it that Lieutenant Johnson had called her? Oh yes, the 'Ice Queen'.

Duo never got around to learning her name. Someone probably mentioned it to him before, but he was **really** bad with names. Hell, he'd called Trowa's sister Catherine 'Carmon' until recently when Quatre had corrected him.

'Now that I thought about, her name was Harmony, or something like that,' he thought to himself as his eye lids became heavier, and heavier, and heavier, and...

"Colonel Maxwell!"

His eyes snapped open and he sat up straight in his chair. He smiled sheepishly at Lady Une. "Yes ma'am?"

Une sighed and motioned towards the 'Ice Queen', who shot a glare Duo's way. "You'll be with Colonel Tenou on this one. I expect your reports in by Tuesday of next week. Dismissed!"

Duo yawned and stood up from his chair and strode over to the 'Ice Queen'. "Yo, Harmony, I guess we're partnered up for the assignment, eh?"

"Excuse me," she said in an embittered tone of voice. "The name's Haruka, **not** Harmony, got it? And yes, we're partnered up, incase you weren't listening and needed to double-check."

He glared at her, then grinned. "Sorry, but I didn't catch your name yesterday when you barged into my office."

Haruka flinched. That was **his** office?

He laughed at her. "I might've gotten it if I had a chance to ask, but no, you had to go and vanish into thin air."

She flinched again.

"Man, do you pop in and out quickly. Could've at least said hello."

"Look, I can explain," she said quickly, panic evident in her features. "First of all, I'm sorry. Secondly, what you saw was the figment of your imagination. I...er...dashed out the door and the blue light was caused by the...um...angle of the lamp."

He blinked and raised an eyebrow at her. "I never said I saw a blue light."

Her eyes widened, but quickly formed a glare. She grabbed her notebook from the table and stomped out the door past him, muttering to herself angrily.

Duo laughed at her and shook his head. "That is one seriously weird chick."

+§¤§+

"That little...grr!" She tossed her notebook at the wall as soon as she flung the door to her office open.

So Duo Maxwell was this 'Braided Baka' she'd heard about, eh? An excellent pilot from the L2 Colony Cluster with a mouth that never shuts up or runs out of idiotic things to say.

Great. Just great. Here she was, nearly having a heart attack about seeing Michiru in three weeks for the first time in nearly twelve years, and she was stuck working with the Preventers greatest baka!

She sighed and calmed herself, retrieving the notebook from its fallen place on the floor and stomped out the door.

+§¤§+

Duo plopped down into his chair and flipped the power switch to his computer on.

Man, this was gonna be a tuffie. Working with the infamous 'Ice Queen' herself. He'd have to watch out, he'd heard from Johnson that she once jabbed a fork into a man's throat when she was stationed at the base in Richmond, Virginia.

Oh well, nothing the great Shinigami couldn't handle. He'd been though worse, and if he could put up with Heero and WuFei's crap, he could put up with Haruka's.

If she even thought about coming near him with a fork, he'd get the Deathscythe and... oh yeah, scratch that. No one's supposed to know, outside of the five Gundam Pilots, Zechs Merquise, Lucrezia Noin, Sally Po, and Lady Une, that the new Gundams were almost near completion. **Or** that he was one of the Gundam Pilots.

Shortly after that little incident with Mariemaia Kushrinada and the Barton Foundation, they had all decided to keep their identities secret. It had started with Quatre not wanting to reveal himself as the pilot of Sandrock, due to his position at the head of his father's company. Duo and the others soon agreed also, and those who knew their identity were sworn to secrecy.

He yawned and leaned back in his chair to take a little nap when a knock at the door prevented him from doing so. He groaned and sat up. "Come in!"

Haruka swung the door open and stepped in, placing a piece of paper on his desk.

Duo picked it up and looked it over. "And this is...?"

She grinned. "Notes on the assignment; I xeroxed you a copy. You looked like you were about to fall asleep back there, so I assumed you didn't here most of what Lady Une had to say."

He rolled his eyes at her and tucked the paper into the mess of his desk drawer. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," she smirked and stifled a laugh.

He rolled his eyes once more. Man, she was annoying and rude. "Is that all, Haruka?"

She nodded and left, but not before calling out, "Hangar Bay #12 at 5 AM. Don't be late Maxwell!"

"Don't be late Maxwell," he mimicked in a squeaky, girlish sounding voice. "Let's see you not be late. 5 AM, you've got to be kidding!"

+§¤§+

__

The next day, 8:30 AM...

"Finally you show up. Thought you could leave the hard part to me, eh?"

Duo trudged lazily into the bay. He had been up till 2 AM working on the wiring in the Deathscythe. He had a reason to be late...but he couldn't tell her that. Just let her think what she wants, for now.

Haruka tossed him a wrench, which he caught and shot her a confused look. "Oh, I see you didn't read the notes I gave you. Otherwise, you would've known about the part were we have to install the new stealth system into these two Leopards over here."

He glanced over to the two Leopards, the latest mobile suit model, then back to Haruka. "New stealth system?"

She nodded. "Yeah that's right. You do know what a stealth system is, right?"

He glared at her.

"Hmm... let's see, how can I sum it up for your simple minded brain?" She crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall behind her. "Oh yes, its sort of like a cloaking device that makes something invisible like on Star Trek. You do know what Star Trek is, right? It was a show that was on in the mid 20th century and spawned various sequels, prequals, movies and..."

"I know what Star Trek is, Haruka!" He yelled, fed up with her attempts to torment him. "You just happen to be looking at one of the biggest fanatics of 20th and 21st century television, music, and art!"

She blinked, that was unexpected. Biggest fanatic? Hmm... maybe she'd piss him off more by telling him she's been to a couple Papa Roach concerts. Nah, she'd let that one wait until she figured out an explanation that didn't include 'I'm 191 years old' and 'not of this Earth'.

"Hey, Duo!"

Gladly, Duo tossed the wrench back to Haruka and made his way over to the other side of the bay where Quatre was waving to him.

Quatre frowned at Duo's expression. "Something the matter?"

He sighed. "No, nothings wrong. Except I'm stuck working with the iciest, rudest, annoyingest person on the face of the planet and I've only known her for barley two days!" He leaned on the railing and placed his head in his hands. "I can't take much more of this."

The blonde pilot laughed. "I'm guessing you mean Haruka Tenou. She's actually very nice once you get to know her."

Duo's head shot up. "She's nice to you?"

Quatre blinked. "Er...yeah. She plays the piano...why?"

He groaned. "She's aggravating, does nothing but insult me every time I'm around her. I'm beginning to see why she's called the 'Ice Queen'."

"Maybe she just doesn't like you or perhaps..." Quatre trailed off and leaned on the railing as well.

Duo turned to him. "Perhaps what?"

Quatre sighed. "Don't tell her I said this, but, perhaps you remind her of someone she once knew. She had a pretty traumatic life, from what she's told me. She lost all her friends, family, everything. Even the one she loved. Duo, if she's mean to you, don't let it get to you too much. She's probably just letting off steam."

"A lot of steam, if you ask me." Duo replied, but quickly shut up as Quatre glared at him. "Alright, alright, I'll be nice. I'll be a good Shinigami, I promise."

Quatre nodded and smiled. "Oh, Heero wants us all to meet in the...you know. The final shipment of...er...titanium has arrived."

"Titanium...oh! Right, yes, got it. What time?"

"Midnight, as usual."

Duo groaned. "I might have to leave early, considering when Haruka over there wants to work on the assignment. She wanted me here at 5 this morning...I was here at 8. I don't see what the big deal is. Not like we're doing anything important."

Quatre laughed. "Not important!? Duo, do you ever pay attention at meetings? You and Haruka are testing the new stealth technology out on the Leopard Suits. This could mean the Preventers could survey without making the civilians panic and think there's an on coming attack."

"Oh."

"I have to admit, even I get sleepy during meetings, but I still **try** to stay awake. And at least I'm not scared to ask Ms. Une what the assignment is if I didn't hear it, rather than guessing and following everyone's lead."

Duo smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, yeah, yeah." He glanced over to the other side of the bay and sighed. "Well, I best get back or else the 'Ice Queen' might jab a fork into my throat."

"Fork?"

Duo shrugged and walked back over to Haruka.

She glanced over at him, but quickly returned to her work, trying her best to concentrate on something else besides the fact that Michiru was coming in three weeks. She sighed. This was going to be a long three weeks.

"Need a hand?" Duo asked as he kneeled down next to her.

"Nope," she said as she stood up and whipped the sweat from her forehead. "I completed the task. Since I did the installing, you can start the report."

He groaned, but didn't argue. "Alright."

She glanced at him and shook her head, turning and walking out the door of the bay.

He sighed. "Finally she's gone."

"Oh, and Maxwell, be here at 7 AM. Maybe you'll actually make it on time!"

He groaned and let his head drop. This was going to be a long three weeks.

**TBC**

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Disclaimer: I do not have delusions of owning Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon.

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Author's Note: Special thanks to WindRider-Damia, Z.Z Zarah, Ally-chan, The Sky Ruler, and Zero-Vision for review the prologue to the fic. Thanks guys! =D


	3. Chapter 2

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Promenade

By: Lady Camigwen

-Chapter 2-

"Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Gundam Pilots. Their continuing mission, to destroy those who threaten peace. To seek out the enemy and demolish their bases. To boldly go where no pilot has gone before!"

"Duo, you are truly the greatest moron that has ever lived," Quatre chimed as he watched the braided pilot take a bow, then proceed to pretend to play the trumpet while loudly humming the Star Trek: the Next Generation theme song. It didn't last long, for a wrench that WuFei was using collided with his head.

Duo cursed and grabbed the wrench from the floor, chunking it back at WuFei, who skillfully caught it without turning to look. Duo groaned and threw his hands up in the air. "Why do I even tr--ack! Hey!" He ducked as the same wrench came flying past his head, this time missing him, only to be caught by Quatre. He whirled around and glared at WuFei.

"What?" The Chinese pilot asked innocently. "I was tossing the wrench over to Quatre."

Glare.

He sighed, "Okay, I was aiming for your head, but Quatre really did need the wrench."

Duo rolled his eyes and turned to Quatre who had the wrench plucked out of his hands by Abdul.

"Guys, really, I can do this myself."

Abdul and the other 39 Maguanacs ignored him. "Please, allow us Master Quatre!"

Quatre sighed and jumped off of Neo-Sandrock's platform onto the plank and glanced over at Duo. "You're lucky no one want's to help you."

Duo laughed, "Hey, I'd gladly take the help. The faster I finish Neo-Deathscythe, the quicker I can be on time and get current holder of the Bitch of the Year award off my back." He glanced over at the Maguanacs who were currently swarming the Neo-Sandrock, hurriedly placing new circuiting in and connecting wiring. "But…not help with that much enthusiasm. Are those guys on something, or what?"

The blonde pilot shrugged and leaned against the railing. "Sometimes I wonder my friend, sometimes I seriously wonder."

+§¤§+

Haruka sighed as she entered the bay, only to once again see no traces of her baka of a partner. Where the hell is that man? She stopped by his office on her way here, and his secretary said he'd been in already this morning, but had some business to take care of first. What business?! She couldn't believe that she actually thought that he was going to come down and get an early start for a change.

She growled an inhuman growl and threw her hands up into the air. Why did she even care!? It was his lose if Lady Une fired him for not doing his job. Let him fail! Besides, she had more important things to worry about than the likes of Duo Maxwell. Like… "Michiru."

"Who's Michiru?"

She whirled around on her heels to face her partner. "None of your concern!"

He blinked; there was something else besides anger in her voice. Pain? "Is something wrong?"

Now she blinked, a bit taken aback. She was expecting him to argue…not to care. But that was beside the point, she didn't care about his opinion or what he thought. "I'm fine, okay! Just drop it!"

Duo watched her as she stomped off towards the Leopards. She had been acting so weird this week, worse than the first two weeks he had been partnered with her. Something was eating at her, he just didn't know what. But, why should he be caring anyway? She didn't give a damn about his feelings, so all the same he shouldn't give a damn about hers! Ever since they were partnered, she's done nothing but make his life a hell even the Shinigami wanted to escape from. So what if she was hot… **HOT**!?

He mentally smacked himself. Where in the hell had **THAT** come from? He sighed and headed out the doors of the bay to go get some coffee. He probably received some brain damage early due to his head colliding with a wrench.

**TBC**

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Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon.

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AN: Sorry it took me so long to update. Homework and band practice has really been eating up my schedule. Oh, and special thanks to my 6th period class for putting up with me repeating the first paragraph of this chapter over, and over, and to Black Aura-Sama, Golden Rain, Haruka-hime, Maggie, Michelle Ann Myst Lady, NightEyes, Oddball, Shadowed Tenshi, The Sky Ruler, WindRider-Damia, Z.Z Zarah, and Zarabeth McGregor for reviewing. Thanks guys ^v^


	4. Chapter 3

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Promenade

By: Lady Camigwen

-Chapter 3-

A small smile danced on his face as he stepped through the threshold of the doors into the hangar bay--on time. Briliant emerald eyes sent him a look of shock and question, but he ignored them, walking past her and to the Leopard suit.

What a suit this new model would be. But, never would it compare to his Deathscythe Hell. He smiled at the thought of his Gundam, now complete. He'd been the first to complete work on the neo-Gundams. Heero, being the perfectionist that he is, was taking the longest. Mostly in part of the new Zero System, that Duo refused to have installed into the Deathscythe Hell. Quatre had allowed the installation into the Sandrock, but he wouldn't let the Zero System touch his Gundam with a ten foot pole!

"And just what are you so happy about as to grace me with your presence at such an early hour, Colenel?"

Her voice was playfully mocking him and his smile was tempeted to frown, but he wouldn't allow it. He was not going to let her bring him down. He glanced over his shoulder at her grinning features, "Is there something wrong with showing up on time?"

"Until now, I thought that was exactly your view."

She was always so fridged... Klank!

Duo watched the wrench fall to the floor the moment the automatic doors slid open to reveal the form of a young woman with wavy aquamarine hair that seemed to almost float about the air in an ethereal manor. He shook his gaze from her and turned to his partner who looked ready to bolt and run for cover.

"Michiru..." Was all she said. Her eyes were wide with shock and she was trembling.

The women in the doorway gave her a warm smile, "Hello Haruka." A man with dark brown, almost black hair stepped through as well and took Michiru by the hand. She smiled up at him and leaned into his embrace.

The gundam pilot heard the blonde woman to his side suck in a sharp breath. He glanced sidways at her--her shaking had increased and tears threatened to spill over. What was going on? The infamous Ice Queen on the verge of tears? Who was this Michiru and what connections did she have to Haruka to cause her to react in this manor?

He had never seen any expressions other than those of a scowl or sly smirk, spread across her features. But now, she was clearly expressing that of anguish. Part of him laughed at her, saying that it served her right for being so horrid to the world. Yet another part of him couldn't stand to see such pain. 

He shoved that side away. Why should he care that his partner was being ripped apart inside by some unknown inward battle? It would probably be best for his ears anyway, if he kept his nose out of her buisness. Better to have his ears bruised by her protests of anger later.

Slowly, he moved to Haruka's side. His sudden presence snapped her back into reality as she quickly threw her Ice Queen persona back into place.

Michiru walked towards the Preventers, hand in hand with the dark-haired man. They stopped and she looked up at the man and gestured to Haruka. "Kalanto, **this** is Haruka, the old friend of mine I told you about."

Kalanto smiled at Haruka but only recieved a cold stare shooting daggers of ice in return. He oppened his mouth to say something to her, but stopped as she quickly bent down and retrieved the wrench. She grabbed a startled Duo by the arm and proceeded to drag him off to the other side of the bay. "Sorry, Mich, but this little reunion has to wait. We've got work that needs attending to."

Duo turned back to see the hurt in Michiru's light turquoise eyes as she shook her head and murmmered something unaudiable to Kalanto.

"Damnit!" Haruka screamed as soon as Michiru and Kalanto left the bay. She released her grasp on the braided pilot and slammed both hands down on the railing, letting her head drop to her chest.

He was tempted to reach out and ask her what was wrong, but he stopped himself. She would only lash out at him, it was no use trying to comfort her. It was impossible to turn still ice to flowing lava. Instead, he grabbed the rolled up blue print from his back pocket. He unrolled it and looked it over. "Okay, it seems we still need to work on the response systems in the right leg. It doesn't seem to be responding the controls. Shall we start there? ...Haruka?"

In the brief minute he'd tore his gaze away from her, she'd vanished. A sigh escaped him as he pressed his back against the cold steel wall, looking up to the ceiling. "Why me?"

+§¤§+

She materialized in her office in a flash of blue. Mentally, she smacked herself for teleporting in public. Luckily for her, Duo was suddenly engrosed in, shockingly enough, work.

Everything was as dark and quiet as a starless sky before she finally allowed her tears to flow. So this was how it felt, to have your heart shattered. Visions of her and Michiru getting back together had finally vanished. She'd known Michiru was married for three weeks now, but seeing her and Kalanto together, had finally caused the truth to hit home.

Michiru had moved on... and she was alone. She prided herself on being able to hide her emotions almost as well as her partner's best friend, Heero Yuy. But, now, it didn't seem to matter. The mask had fallen off and her feelings were spilling out whether she liked it or not.

Oh, how she was tempted to contact Ami on Mercury, or Makoto on Jupiter... just someone to talk to. Dispite her earlier beliefs when she was young and striving to be a professional race car driver, she didn't want to be alone. Especially, not now. It made her feel weak and betrayed inside, but she needed the comfort. And she was willing to take if from whoever would offer it.

She was too engrossed in her own thoughts to have heard the door to her office open and close. A hand was placed on her shoulder and a worried voice asked her if she was okay.

It was him... she loathed him, but it didn't matter. She didn't care.

In a quick movement, she turned and threw herself into his arms, her hands clinging to the material of his jacket, tears flowing freely, and cries let out.

Duo stood stunned for a moment, before allowing his arms to wrap around her shaking form. He rubbed her back and gently rested his head atop hers. "Shh... it's going to be okay. Just let it out..."

+§¤§+

Luitenant Johnson sat with his feet propped up on the consol, starring blankly at the dozens of switching screens before him. How he hated having to do survalence... it was such a boring job, and not the job he joined the Preventers for. He watched as the screens flashed to the Foriegn Minister walking down a corridor, Lord Winner at the snack machine, Colenel Tenou vanishing into thin air... huh?

He lept up from his position and quickly replayed the scene. After a quick ckeck to make sure all systems were running properly he was forced to accept it. Still, he couldn't believe what he was seeing... this was impossible! It was like something out of _Star Trek_ or _Power Rangers_. Teleportation was not possible! But yet, Colenel Tenou, clearly did it. Colenel Maxwell hadn't seemed to notice, but it was common knowledge that he wasn't the brightest star in the heavens. Johnson often wondered how in the world the man had surpassed him in rank.

This needed to be reported immediately. He reached for his cell phone and dialed up the opperator. "Yes, Agent Sewell, please."

**TBC**

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Disclaimer: I do not claim to own or have rights to Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. I am simply a fan. However, Kalanto, Luitenant Johnson, and Agent Sewell do belong to me, so please don't use them without my permission.

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AN: Special thanks to Maara for beta-reading for me! *hugs* And thanks so much to those who review and encourage me to keep on writting. The next chapter is currently in the works. I hope to have many more reviews before the posting of the next chapter. Please review! Thanks! ^.^


	5. Chapter 4

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Promenade

By: Lady Camigwen

-Chapter 4-

Duo stood stunned as the sobbing woman whom he thought was affected by nothing, threw herself into his arms. Awkwardly, he moved them both over to the couch near the door. He had no idea how to handle this unexpected situation. Gingerly, he wrapped his arms around her and made what he hoped were soothing sounds. 

After many heart-wrenching minutes, Haruka seemed to have cried herself out. Trembling, she pulled away from Duo and looked up at him. Her eyes were red and swollen, and she looked miserable. 

For a moment Duo was overcome with compassion and a desire to ease her pain. It didn't matter that he was supposed to hate her, no one deserved to feel that bad. He stared down at her; her eyes shinning with unshed tears. He'd never noticed the vibrant emerald shade of her eyes until now. 

Suddenly, he was aware of just how close she was to him. Her warm body was pressed against his. Wanting do something more to ease her pain and succumbing to desire, he hesitantly leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. He thought she was going to pull away, smack him, or hell, kill him. Instead, she surprised him by hungrily returning the kiss. Her hands wrapped around the back of his necking, pinning him tightly against her. Duo let his hands wander as Haruka plundered his mouth. He ran his hands down to knead the small of her back as he began to lead a trail of kisses along her cheek and neck. His hands clutched the material of her jacket and began to tug it off her shoulders. 

Heavy footsteps passed her office and his eyes shot open, wide. He took a deep breath and glanced down at Haruka's sleeping form. Inwardly, he groaned and smacked himself repeatedly. He had been dreaming...

A sigh escaped his throat, but luckily, she didn't wake or stir. He wished he could get away from her, as far as possible, without disturbing her slumber. But, he was stuck and hoped to the Gods that she would wake soon on her own and relieve them of this awkward position, for he didn't know how long he could contain himself.

Duo closed his eyes and slowly drifted back to sleep, '_This is going to be a **long** night_...'

+§¤§+

Haruka awoke a short time after dawn. The new morning light made her swollen eyes sting. How long had she been crying? She tried to sit up, but a strong pair of arms held her in place. She squinted up at Duo's sleeping features and realized she must've cried herself to sleep in his arms.

He looked so peaceful and less annoying in this state. When he shifted, she took the opportunity to slip out of his embrace. She whispered her thanks for his comfort and silently slipped out of the office.

She made her way down the long corridor towards the hangar bay. When she was mad, only three things could quell her temper: work, racing, and blowing things up. Work she could do, racing...maybe later, blowing things up, well... it would look a bit conspicuous if she ran around blasting things with a 'World Shaking' or two.

She quickly walked past the break room where Michiru stood having a conversation with Quatre. It amazed her how Quatre seemed to get along with everyone. She pretended she didn't notice Michiru, but Michiru noticed her.

__

Trying to ignore me,_ Uranus_?

Her features hardened more than usual as she glared at the voice in her mind. It had been more than thirty years since someone had called her by her senshi name. _Go away Neptune_,_ I'm not in the mood._

__

You never seem to be in the mood, Michiru said, then added coldly: _If you father were still around, he would've gotten a kick out of this. His proud_,_ mighty daughter afraid of her old girlfriend_.

Haruka's temper flared. _How dare you speak of that beast of a man who never even claimed me as his daughter_!_ I didn't ask you to come here_!

__

Yes,_ that was my decision. Uranus_, _I came here to talk to you_. _I want things to be like before_..._before we got together_._ I miss your friendship and the outer planets don't seem right without the leader of the Outer Senshi_.

__

All right,_ now you're confusing me_. _Did you come here to apologize for hurting me and become friends again or to get me to return to Uranus_?

Silence.

She gave a short laugh. _That's what I thought_. With a wave of her hand she shoved Michiru's voice from her mind. She didn't need this. Her life was just beginning to be the normal life she'd always wanted. And she had Duo to quarrel with in the place of Usagi. Every thing seemed to be right, and she was happy...until this.

The doors of the bay opened with a swooshing sound and she stepped through the threshold into the bay. She saw the blue prints lying on the floor, most likely left out by Duo. She bent to pick them up when she felt a sharp prick on her shoulder.

Her hand reached for her shoulder and she found a small dart. She pulled it free and gave a wince of pain before bringing the dart into her view so she could get a better look at it. She barely made out the men coming towards her as darkness engulfed her and she fell limply to the floor.

**TBC**

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Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. How can you be sure? One explanation: I live in Floresville. That should speak for itself. ^^;; *smiles innocently at her fellow peanut pickers and Floresvillians_*_

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AN: Short, I know, but I've got to get studying for my History test tomorrow. *sweatdrop* Special thanks to Maara Kailet for the help and to those of you who keep reviewing and encouraging me to write. It's your reviews that in part inspire me to continue writing. Thanks! ^-^


	6. Chapter 5

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Promenade

By: Lady Camigwen

-Chapter 5-

__

"World Shaking!"…"Deep Submerge!"…"Dead Scream!"

The three attacks combined and slammed into the daimon, but didn't have much effect. It grinned and launched itself up into the air and at the three Outer Senshi. They jumped out of the way and Pluto ran towards it with her staff in the air. She prepared to attack the daimon once more, but it was too fast and attacked her instead.

"Pluto!" Neptune cried in protest as Pluto flew halfway across the courtyard and into a bush. The senshi of time pushed herself to her knees and clutched a probably broken arm.

Neptune attempted to go to Pluto's aid, but the daimon grabbed her. She screamed and painfully wrenched herself from its grasp. She stumbled back and watched as a mass of energy came flying at her. Her legs froze in place and she was unable to move, unable to jump away.

In a quick lightening movement, Uranus lurched forward and shoved Neptune out of the way, taking the blast head on. Neptune and Pluto both cried out, but she barely heard them. She barely saw Neptune hovering over her, telling her she was going to be okay.

Her mouth wouldn't respond to commands and she couldn't tell the ocean senshi that she was going to be okay. Neptune must've understood and smiled meekly at her as her form melted into Duo's. "Hush, 'Ruka, everything's going to be okay. I promise."

Duo?

Her eyes flew open and she tried to sit up, but her arms, legs, and waist were held down tightly. That dream...it felt as she had been hit by that daimon's attack once again. Her head was throbbing and everything but her nails was aching. Where was she? How'd she get here?

The man who shot her with the dart. Tranquilizer…

She groaned. If this was another enemy, she was going to ride them up and down the wall. She thought all the villains had been destroyed when they killed Chaos so long ago. She needed to get out of here.

Her hand stretched out and she focused, trying to do something she hadn't done in nearly 30 years. She could feel the energy gathering and her senshi side leapt to life again, the mighty heavens senshi returning. "World…" she clutched the energy and made a tight fist. She could feel the heat on the side of her face. Carefully, she focused on her targets and steadied the attack. "…Shaking!"

The energy jumped from her hand and smashed into the restraints holding her in place, shattering them. She gained a few cuts and scrapes, but she managed to get out of the restraints. Her body protested as she jumped down from the table and made her way around the room, looking for something resembling a door.

But there was none.

Everywhere she looked, there were walls, just plain white walls. Well then, if there wasn't a door, she'd just have to make one herself. She threw her hand up in the air and preformed the attack once more, "World Shaking!"

An alarm sounded as the wall crumbled and she pushed through the debris. She cursed herself for not having her wand on her. If she could transform, she'd give whoever shot her hell on ice.

But this…it didn't seem like any of the other enemy bases. She'd never fought against the Dark Kingdom or the Black Moon Family, but she had heard from Makoto that they had palace-like bases. The Deathbusters had a laboratory, the Dead Moon Circus had their circus tent, and the Shadow Galactica had their little get-up. But, this place looked like some military operation.

She stopped dead in her tracks and glanced around at all the security cameras and rooms that required a pass code to enter. This **was** a military base. She was still on Earth…but where?

+§¤§+

Duo awoke around six in the morning and found he was alone. Had his dreams been reality, this would've been a typical result of a one-night-stand. But some events of last night weren't part of his dream. Haruka had been deeply hurt and had turned to him for comfort.

He had never seen that side of her. The weak side, the side she was ashamed of. It frightened him and the mere thought of seeing a trail of tears down her cheeks made his heart ache.

No! He shouted angrily at himself as he leapt to his feet. He was not falling for her, he wasn't! How could anyone love someone who could be so cruel? The only person she remotely got along with was Quatre, but of course, the Desert Prince got along with everybody. No, he wasn't falling.

He ignored what the little voice in the back of his mind was telling him… He had already fallen.

+§¤§+

"You've known Miss Haruka for a long time, it seems."

Michiru smiled at the male blonde and nodded, glad to be talking to someone without an attitude problem. She hadn't meant to snap at Haruka like that, or tick her off by calling her by her senshi title or bringing up the past again. All she wanted was Haruka's friendship once again. She was going to need her support for what was coming…

"When did you meet?" Quatre asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Oh, quite a while back when we were young teenagers. Haruka used to have a flare for racing and I'm surprised she hasn't become a professional racer. I saw her race one-day and she seemed to be just the subject I needed for my next painting. I asked her if I could paint her, but she declined. Her pride always gets in the way of things. I got into a jam shortly after and she helped me. We became close friends after that."

Quatre looked out a near window and smiled knowingly. "Battles do seem to bring two people closer together, wouldn't you say?"

Michiru blinked, "What do you mean by that?"

Quatre eyed her. "You think I haven't figured it out already? The way Miss Haruka reacted to meeting Mister Kolanto; it's obvious that you and Miss Haruka were once an item."

Her instincts told her to gasp in shock, but she kept her usual tranquil composer. "That obvious, eh?" She sighed, "I was hoping she would've accepted the fact that we were over a long time ago, but…"

"…some people take longer to realize the end than others."

Michiru nodded. "Yes, exactly so. She still seems angry. I hope things can be forgotten, I'm going to need her friendship."

Again, Quatre smiled. "Don't worry, Miss Michiru. I'm sure everyone's going to be happy to hear about the latest addition."

This time, she did gasp and Quatre laughed aloud. "H-how'd you…?"

He didn't give her a verbal answer, just another one of his famous smiles.

+§¤§+

They were catching up to her, and fast. One of them hit her with a tranquilizer and she was beginning to feel groggy. This one wasn't as strong as the last dart, but if they hit her again, she'd pass out for sure.

When she came to a dead end, she merely stopped and turned to face them. She was too weak to teleport or blast through anything. She'd let them win now and strike when she was ready.

The soldiers halted, but kept their guns armed and ready to fire. A man in a black suit stepped forward from within the crowd. Haruka gasped when she saw him and he smirked.

"You!"

The man laughed. "Yes me, who else?" He walked closer and looked her up and down. "You're a strange creature, Haruka. You have blood, but no heartbeat. When we ran a blood test, your trace elements were off and there were no residual anesthetics. Your brainwaves are off the charts and your reflexes are astounding! You are a fascinating creature...I can't wait to see how you work."

Haruka snarled at the man, at a loss for words. Her temper was flaring at and all time high, yet she couldn't retaliate. She wanted to scream and did as another dart pierced her skin. Using the last ounce of her strength she cried out with her mind before the darkness engulfed her once more.

**TBC**

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Document: Well, guess what...I don't own them!

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AN: Longer, isn't it? *grins* I actually had time this weekend to sit down and write a full-length chapter. And once again, special thanks to Maara for helping me with details and to Amber for the astrological help. To Damia, Aura-sama, and Myst Lady...thanks for continuing to read and review.

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To Damia: Hey! Yeah, History teachers can be tough. Especially AP History teachers. *sigh* Anyways...no, they don't know that there's life on other planets besides Earth. I've made it so that everyone, save Haruka, has gone back to live on their respected planets. And, I think you can tell from this chapter who Haruka got captured by...

**__**

THE MORE REVIEWS, THE MORE I WRITE! HOW ABOUT 50 REVIEWS? ^-^


	7. Chapter 6

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Promenade

By: Lady Camigwen

-Chapter 6-

As Duo roamed the hallways looking for where he last sat down the blue prints to the Leo Suits, a pair of serene turquoise eyes watched him from the shadows. 

So **this** was the man that had caught Haruka's attention without even Haruka herself realizing it, eh? When she was suddenly assaulted by Haruka's powerful mind—if Quatre hadn't caught her, she would've smashed her head open on the hard tile floor—she was overloaded with jumbled images that she was still trying to sort out. But one image stood out clearly--the image of that moronic American, Duo Maxwell.

As she tried to make sense of the other images—most were brief flashes—she came upon more and more images of Duo. Always of him just walking or staring of into space while his mind wandered within his own little world. What _did_ Haruka see in him anyway?

The 'moronic American' gave a whoop of triumph upon spotting the blue prints sitting upon the desk of Colonel Trowa Barton. Barton...perhaps he was related to that redheaded child of Trieze's who'd caused such a stir a couple years ago. An uncle maybe?

Michiru shrugged.

Telling Duo to hold on for a moment, Trowa rose from his desk and inspected the area as if to make sure no one would eavesdrop on their conversation. With a couple of composed glances to either side of the hallway and around his office, Trowa shut the door.

'_Damn him_...' Michiru silently crept from the shadows and pressed her ear against the door. She would've teleported in and blended into the shadows within the office, but she _really_ didn't feel up to bruising her mind further than Haruka had so graciously done earlier.

Holding her breath, she focused and listened.

"...is almost near completion," Trowa said.

"Awesome! I'm almost finished myself, I've just got to tweak a couple things here and there, and—done!" Duo said rather enthusiastically.

"Good. Will be able to run a test flight soon and maybe with the aid of the cloaking systems used in the Leos, we'll be able to run a weapons test as well."

"Antarctica?" Duo suggested.

Trowa snorted. "**Anywhere** but there. That continent is an eternal freezer." He paused for several seconds before speaking again. "If you'll excuse me Duo, I must see to the last modifications to Heavyarms."

"And the Shinigami will be getting some well deserved shut eye. See ya, Trowa!"

Michiru leapt away from the door and teleported around the corner and peered over her shoulder as Duo emerged from Trowa's office and headed down the opposite end of the hallway to the building's exit. She let out a sigh of relief and stepped into the light as she made her way back to her guest quarters within the building.

Heavyarms...Shinigami... Where had she heard those names before? On television maybe, or a movie perhaps, could've been on—She froze. 

"Dear sweet Goddess of the Tides!" she breathed. Heavyarms...Shinigami... Heavyarms was the name of Gundam 03 and Shinigami was the name of the pilot of Gundam 02, Deathscythe. Duo—Duo **and** Trowa were Gundam pilots. They were re-building their Gundams that were destroyed after Mariemaia's coup de'etat.

She laughed aloud as she entered her temporary residence while on base and felt the eyes of her husband burning holes into her back, demanding to be included in what she thought was so amusing.

He was sprawled awkwardly on the couch casually eating away at an apple and grinned at her. "So, what's so amusing that I don't get a 'hi honey I'm home?'"

She arched an aquamarine brow at him. "Kolanto, have you discovered the addictive device known as the television?"

Kolanto gave her a sheepish grin and sat upright on the couch. "You didn't answer my question, dear. What's got you rolling in fits of giggles?"

"Oh nothing...just Duo Maxwell's a Gundam Pilot and I'm pregnant."

"Maxwell a Gundam Pilot? Ha! Now I'm wondering if you hit your head somewhere in between here and the lounge and—pregnant!?"

She winked at him and strolled into the kitchen as he choked on a piece of apple.

+§¤§+

Her left arm felt as if thousands of needles were piercing her skin repeatedly in the same spot. She managed to roll he head over to the side—it felt like a bowling ball attached to her neck rather than a head—and squinted in the bright light at her arm. 

She expected to see blood, but nothing was there. No needles, no blood.

"Feeling the affects, aren't you Haruka?"

With a groan she painfully rolled her head to the right and attempted a glare at Agent Sewell. "W-what have you—"

"Done to you? Oh, nothing... just some experimental anesthetics that we were curious to see as to how you'd react to." Sewell reached into the pocket of his lab coat and pulled out a needle. "In your case it seems you need a stronger dosage. A _normal_ human being would be out for hours with a low dosage of this stuff."

If she could've willed her arm to move, she would've, but she couldn't. She could do nothing but moan in agony as he injected her with more of whatever was already flowing through her veins. She managed to call him a "dirty bastard" before her world once again became dark.

+§¤§+

Michiru lie awake in bed staring at the ceiling as Kolanto called home to Neptune to announce to various friends and family members that the queen was pregnant with the heir or heiress to the Neptunian throne.

What was Haruka trying to tell her? The images were so jumbled... it was taking her a while to sort them out. Haruka's mind was probably bruised as well. Sending messages telepathically over long distances was a painful process. Wait, how'd she know Haruka was far away?

The Neptunian queen bolted upright in her bed. She had overlooked that before, possibly because it was more of a sensation than an image. The distinct feeling of being in a moving vehicle...

As she rose from the bed and began to change into decent clothes, she tried to put the pieces together in her mind. Duo Maxwell a Gundam Pilot, the Gundams being rebuilt, traveling a long distance in some sort of vehicle. But...when had Haruka left?

She remembered avoiding the surveillance cameras in the hallway when she was following Duo earlier. Perhaps she could find some record there.

Maybe it was time to give the Shinigami a wake up call.

+§¤§+

The Shinigami tossed and turned in his sleep, watching images fly past his eyes. 

__

A young girl with shining silver-blue hair running through a field of dark blue roses, calling out to the smaller girl wrapped in a purple cloth to stop complaining about the cold... 

The same girl, only now a teenager, screaming in horror and pain as a shadowed figure brought down her galive and the ground beneath them erupted... 

A teenager with sandy blonde hair and brilliant emerald eyes--Haruka?--_dressed in a school uniform walking past an arcade where a younger teenager with bright blonde hair held up in pigtails emerged and latched onto her arm, babbling on about something that made the former girl groan in annoyance..._

The smiling face of a young woman with aquamarine hair--Michiru?--_as she watched a man in a wheelchair rock his daughter to sleep. The girl that resembled Haruka placed a hand on her shoulder and asked if she was all right and faced her. "Are you ready for one more showdown?" The young woman nodded, "Yes."..._

She smirked and a raven-haired woman behind her muttered, "Finally!", as they watched the fall of the Berlin Wall on television. "It's about time..."

Jumbled images flew past, ones he couldn't make out, only catch glimpses of until they stopped on a scene he'd seen a thousand times before...the assassination of Heero Yuy.

__

The gunman was already atop the building. "Dammit!" She ran, ran as fast as she could... but when she reached the gunman, she was too late. Heero Yuy was dead.

That girl tried to prevent Heero Yuy's death? What in the wo--

__

"I'm sorry..." Haruka's, or what sounded like Haruka's voice, called out._ "...I tried to stop him. If I had, you wouldn't have gone through all that pain and suffering when you were a child. If I had been faster... I tried.. I'm sorry, I'm so very sorry... Forgive me..."_

He nearly hit his head on the ceiling when someone knocked at his door, causing him to leap out of bed. Grumbling and rubbing the sleep out of his violet eyes he pulled open the door to meet the serious face of Michiru.

"We need to talk," she said as she pushed passed him and strolled into the room.

He shut the door and followed her. "Yes, I believe we do," he said, recalling his dream.

Michiru halted and whirled around to face him, nodding. "Yes, we do, Shinigami."

+§¤§+

Lying on a table in some FBI base with several men in white lab coats poking and prodding her body, Haruka cried.

She didn't know what they had pumped her full of, but she couldn't move or talk. She was awake and aware of what they were doing to her…she could _feel_ it. And all she could do was lie there and allow the tears to flow from beneath her closed lids.

'_…Just kill me already, please…_'

**TBC**

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Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. I do, however, own this Sailor Uranus doll and Deathscythe model! *runs off, hugging the items tightly* And no one will get them! Mwuhahaha...!

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AN: I was hoping that I'd get 50 reviews by the next time I updated, but I went ahead and posted this next chapter anyway. I hope to have **over** 50 reviews by my next update, however, so please review!

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++THE MORE REVIEWS, THE MORE I WRITE!++

5/18/03


	8. Chapter 7

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Promenade

By: Camigwen 

-Chapter 7-

Her hair floated mid-air in an ethereal matter, as if she were underwater. Her eyes were wide and bright with a blue pigment. Her face was emotionless as she sat upright on the table, starring past the confused faces of FBI agents.

She blinked and all the objects in the room not secured to the floor, walls, or ceiling floated like they were in space. The clutter of objects moved to the back of the room with another blink. When she blinked again, they all flew at the thick glass from which other FBI agents were surveying her torture.

The glass shattered into a million deadly sharp pieces as agents ran screaming from the room.

Agent Sewell burst into the room and grabbed her by the throat. She starred up at him, still emotionless as she blinked and his gun flew from the holster on his belt, cocked, and aimed at his head. "Don't do this Miss Tenou," he said calmly. "Do you really want to be responsible for a **human** death?"

Haruka's eyes enlarged even more and lost their blue glow as they faded back to their normal emerald coloring and a gasp escaped her throat. The gun dropped to the floor.

__

Human death... The number one rule, her own personal one that she swore to long ago, was to never take a human life using her abilities. Humans weren't responsible nor involved in the wars and battles she and the other Senshi fought. They were innocent. But, Agent Sewell was **far** from innocent.

So why couldn't she bring herself to kill him and escape?

"That's a good girl," Sewell murmured as he slipped a hand into his pocket and drew out a tranquilizer dart. He plunged it into her neck and watched as her eyes rolled back in her head and her body slumped back onto the bed. 

He grinned. "Once again, I've underestimated you." With a hand, he reached out and stroked her smooth cheek. "Truly a unique and beautiful creature..."

+§¤§+

The Shinigami's anger faded and melted into shock and surprise as a name that he hadn't been called in years passed by Michiru's lips. He starred at her for a few moments before managing a, "Huh?"

Michiru smiled. Good, her plan was going smoothly. "I said 'Shinigami.' You are the Shinigami, are you not?" She paused and looked him up and down and tapped a slender finger on her chin. "Then again... I accepted a Gundam Pilot to be a bit smarter."

He arched a brown eyebrow at her and crossed his arms. "And what exactly is **that** supposed to mean?"

She laughed. "You know what I mean. You're a sweet guy and all, Duo. But...you're not all that bright. You're kind of slow and air headed. You couldn't possibly be a Gundam Pilot." She smacked her forehead. "What could I have been thinking!?"

Duo blinked, a bit taken aback. What was Michiru trying to pull here? First she says she knows he's a Gundam Pilot, now she says that it was foolish of her to think so? But how did she get to the assumption that he was a Gundam Pilot in the first place? "Michiru, why do you think I'm a Gundam Pilot?"

Again, she smiled. "Oh, it just seemed a tad bit suspicious to me when I walked by Colonel Barton's office yesterday and overheard you calling yourself 'Shinigami.' So, either you **are** the pilot of the Deathscythe, or you just called yourself 'Shinigami' to make yourself appear a bit less stupid."

He gaped at her. She overheard him talking with Trowa yesterday! Wait a second...she didn't have access to that corridor, she was only a civilian. What was she doing in there? "And just **why** were you in that corridor?"

"Huh?" She blinked in surprise. She hadn't anticipated he'd ask why she was there.

This time, he grinned. "You said that you overheard me talking with Trowa yesterday. Please, Michiru, tell me. Why were you there? I never took you for the sneaking around type. Maybe a bit heartless--"

"Heartless!?" She snapped. "You don't even know me. Why call me heartless?"

"You must be heartless," Duo said with a slight glare in his eyes, "to make Haruka cry."

She gasped. Haruka cried...because of her? Had Haruka honestly still thought they had a chance? She had a husband and a child on the way; there was no hope of her and Haruka being something more then friends ever again. Oh Haruka...she didn't mean to hurt her. Was that why Haruka went missing. Did she drive her away? "I-I didn't mean...I never meant...I thought she knew it was over."

"Huh?" He was now confused. What was over? "Over?"

Michiru blinked at him. "You mean you don't know?"

"Don't know what?"

A little bit of color stained her cheeks as she met his violet eyes. "Haruka and I were once an item."

Duo nearly fell over. What the hell!? "Haruka's a lesbian!?"

Michiru shook her head and smirked at him. "Oh don't worry, she likes men as well. She's bi. And it seems to me that she's quite fancies you, even if she might not realize it herself."

It was his turn to blush. "What do mean 'fancies me'?"

"She likes you. Yes, in **that** way. Although, I can't seem to pinpoint exactly **why** she likes you. You're not much to look at. Then again, I was never really into human men. I like mine Neptunian."

"Neptunian?"

Oops, had she let that one slip out? She had. Oh well, she might as well tell him. He'd find out sooner or later and perhaps if she told him the truth, he'd trust her. "Yes, Neptunian. I'm the Queen of Neptune, didn't you know? Haruka and I aren't from Earth and neither is Kolanto. We're ancient beings chosen to protect the solar system from outside forces. We've been around for over one hundred years now. You've probably heard some urban myths about us, the Sailor Sen--"

All of a sudden, Duo burst out laughing. He clutched his side with on hand and waved at her with the other. "Please, please, stop. You're killing me!"

"What?" All right, what was he smoking?

He laughed some more, before taking a deep breath and quickly righting himself. "Look Michiru, if you're trying to gain my trust, you don't have to make up some story involving aliens and mystic powers with destinies to be fulfilled. Just tell me what you want. You've got through all this trouble to try and lure me into helping you. Tell me what it is, and I'll consider."

Making up some story? Well...perhaps it was better if he thought it a joke. Heh, let him believe what he wants. "Alright. As you may or may not know, Haruka's missing. She contacted me, but I don't know where she is or when she left. She seems...terrified, wherever she may be. Duo, I owe Haruka a lot and if she's in trouble, I owe it to her to help her." She gestured to the surveillance camera pointed at his door. "You have access to the security cameras, I presume."

Duo nodded.

"Well then, I suggest we use the tapes in the surveillance room to see when Haruka left. She's been gone for two days now. I know for a fact that she left for work that morning, I saw her pass by the lounge where I was dinning with Lord Quatre. We need to know when she left and look for possible clues as to where she might be."

Duo reached over and grabbed a shirt off a nearby chair and pulled it on. "Alright, I'll help."

She smiled. "Thanks. Now, let's get going. I can't seem to get to sleep and the sooner we figure this out, the sooner it'll quit tapping at the back of my mind and I'll be able to get some sleep." She rose from the couch, opened the door, and proceeded to walk down the hallway. 

He followed. Wait, he didn't ask her about that dream he had. "That still doesn't explain..."

Michiru glanced back over her shoulder at him. "Explain what?"

He shook his head. "Never mind, I was just thinking out loud." No, it was just a dream. Haruka and Michiru couldn't possibly have been alive back then. He smiled slightly. So, Haruka liked him. The question was, did he like her?

+§¤§+

"Honey? Serenity, what is it?"

Neo-Queen Serenity shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, Endymion. Something just...doesn't feel right." She glanced up from the balcony at the Earth. "Something's going on there, I can feel it. I just don't know what."

**TBC**

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Disclaimer: I don't claim to own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing. If I did, I wouldn't still be living with my parents and I would have wireless internet, a cell phone, a car, an in-ground pool...

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AN: YAY! I got 50 reviews! No--53 reviews! *hugs all that reviewed* Thank you so much! And special thanks to Damia, who's reviewed every time I've updated. *hugs* Thanks Damia! Now, let's see if I can aim for 60... ^___^

6/07/03


	9. Chapter 8

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Promenade

By: Camigwen

-Chapter 8-

He had to be one of the most lazy and incompetent men she had ever met---**person **she had ever met! Even Usagi herself wasn't _this_ bad during her teenage years. Well, at least Duo didn't wail and whine at the top of his lungs in ear-piercing decibels.

Michiru sighed in exasperation and reached over to the stack of tapes sitting closest to her, selected one, and lightly pushed it into the VCR rather than using Duo's method of violently shoving the tapes in.

He head jerked up to the screen before her as the television flashed to life. What appeared made her gasp.

The tape she had randomly selected was from the day she and Kolanto arrived on Earth from Neptune. She watched as she and her husband made their exit and Duo and Haruka returned back to work. IT seemed like they were going about 'normal' routine when Haruka suddenly used her powers to teleport away when Duo turned his back on her to retrieve what looked like a blue-print.

She hastily ejected the tape from the VCR and looked to it's label to get the date and time so that she could look for other tapes around that area, but the date and time weren't readable, for in large, bold letters, "SEWELL" was written across it.

"Hey Duo," Michiru said casually, "who or perhaps what, is 'sewell?'"

Duo didn't bother to look at her--his eyes were locked onto the glowing television screen as if he were in some sort of a trance.

What _did_ Haruka see in this man, anyway?

"Sewell..." Duo responded in a dull, dry tone, "...I think that's the name of the FBI agent that's stationed here for a while to observe how the Preventers run things."

He managed to tear his away from the screen to glance at her, but he was too late--she'd already bolted from the room.

The Shinigami gave a light shrug of his shoulders and once again locked his gaze onto the television. "Man, I could go for some popcorn about now."

+§¤§+

This wasn't happening! This is **NOT** happening...but it was...

Michiru ran down the hallways that connected the various Preventer buildings as fast as her legs would carry her. Teleporting back to her room would've been faster, but she was now afraid of doing that, afraid that it might be caught on tape.

She felt a tiny pang of guilt for leaving Duo alone back there without giving him an explanation. Not even a made up one. But, this was now Senshi business and it didn't involve him.

She hadn't really kept in contact with the other senshi over the years, especially the Inner Senshi. After they all went their separate ways, they sorta lost contact with each other. But, she was going to have to contact Usagi and Mamoru on the Moon to let them know what was going on, and perhaps Minako on Venus incase she needed back up.

She had complete unquestionable trust and faith in Haruka, but, she also had a good idea of what the FBI might be doing to her former lover to get information out of her. There was no telling what they could've dragged out of Haruka so far.

Kolanto met her at the door, somehow sensing that something was afoot. "Michiru, what's wrong?"

"Sorry, Kol," she quickly as she brushed by him, "but I haven't got time to explain."

He didn't question her as she strolled quickly to their bedroom and dug around in her bags for her wrist communicator. She finally located it and pressed in the code that would contact Usagi. "Please, oh, please let this stupid thing still work..."

+§¤§+

"Do you hear something?" Endymion asked his wife as the two strolled into the main throne room of the palace. "A beeping sound..."

Serenity walked over to her throne and shoved her hand underneath the cushion and drew out her communicator. "Hmm... I was wondering where I put this."

Her husband sighed, "You _still_ haven't changed."

She stuck her tongue out at him and opened her communicator. "Moon here."

Michiru's worry stricken face appeared on the screen. "Usagi--er, Serenity, something's horribly wrong."

The queen shot a quick 'I told you so' glance to her husband. "What exactly, Michiru? Activity on Earth has been quiet for a while now. If another enemy has arisen, then we--"

"It's not an enemy, exactly," the oceanic senshi interrupted. She let out a shaky sigh and looked down. "There's no way to put this, Serenity, then to just say it." There was a long pause before Michiru gathered her words. "Haruka's been captured...by the FBI. They caught her teleporting on tape and an agent found the tape and they got her."

"Shit!" Serenity swore. "Michiru, I'm coming down to Earth. We'll sort this out when I get there. Don't do anything yet. I'm going to contact Minako and Rei incase we need help."

Michiru nodded. "Thanks."

Serenity smiled and shut her communicator. She glanced at her husband and gave him a sly look. "Ready to put on your mask again, dear?"

Endymion looked puzzled--he hadn't caught all of their conversation. "Huh?"

"I think it's time Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen made a brief comeback."

+§¤§+

Michiru clasped the communicator to her wrist and drew out her transformation wand from her pocket. She'd kept it with her at all times as more of a security blanket than a weapon. But, now it was going to have to be put to use again. She would be putting the new life growing inside her at risk, but she owed it to Haruka to help--she'd saved her life plenty of times.

"Your going to become Sailor Neptune again, aren't you Michiru?"

"If I have to, I will." She leaned back against her husband as he came up behind her.

"But what about..." He placed both of his hands on her stomach. "...our baby."

"Kol, the FBI's got Haruka and if it weren't for our baby, I'd've already transformed and gone after her. But, I've agreed to wait for Serenity to get here before I make any rash decisions."

Kolanto jumped slightly. "S-Serenity? She's coming here?"

She sighed, "I still have yet to see why you're so scared of the Odango Amatta. Is it just here title that scares you? 'Cause you know--" she turned around in his arms, "--I'm a queen and a senshi to. So, why aren't you scared of me?"

He smirked. "Oh, I'm plenty scared of you."

"Good."

+§¤§+

BAM!

As Duo rounded a corner he smacked into someone and fell to the ground. He groaned and rubbed his forehead as he stood. "I'm sorry, it was--"

"My fault," the person he collided with replied. "I'm Ser--Usagi. Usagi Chiba. I'm a bit lost. I'm looking for Michiru Kaioh. Do you know where I can find her?"

"Oh! Uh...Michiru, right." He pointed to the hallway across from them. "Go all the way down to the end of this hallway and it's the second door on your left, I believe."

"Thank you," Usagi replied and strolled past him.

"Hey!"

She stopped and turned her head to glance back at him. "Hm?"

Duo gestured to her hair. "Has anyone ever told you that your hair looks a pair of meatballs?"

"Why does everyone think that!?" Usagi let out a growl before stomping off towards Michiru's room.

**TBC**

****

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing. They are © their respective owners, not me.

AN: I'm sorry that it's taking me so long to update. I've been overwhelmed with summer reading for English and marching band practice nearly everyday from 9 in the morning to 8:30 at night, so I've a had booked schedule. I'll try to update as often as I can--I'm not giving up on this fic--you're just going to have to bear with me here. ^^;;

8/5/03


	10. Chapter 9

****

Promenade

By: Camigwen

-Chapter 9-

"Oh get up, Kol." Michiru shook her head at her bowing husband. "I still have yet to see exactly why you're afraid of her." She looked up from her husband's still bowing form to meet the amused eyes of Usagi.

Usagi shrugged, amused by Kolanto's display. After a few more bows and an annoyed look from Michiru, Usagi waved a hand at him and he stood.

"My Queen—" he began, but Usagi held up a hand and silenced him.

"Please," she said, "while we're here on Earth, call me 'Usagi.' Beside, 'my Queen' makes me sound old." She wrinkled her nose in disgust as Michiru laughed. "Kolanto," she said in her sweetest tone, "would you mind excusing us for a moment?"

The Neptunian king bowed deeply before her, earning an annoyed sound from Michiru. "Of course, mi lady." He rose, gave his grumpy wife a quick kiss on the cheek, and exited the room.

"I-I really appreciate you going out of your way to come here, Usagi." Michiru said with uneasiness in her voice as Usagi plopped down onto the couch. "It means a lot to me and I—Usagi!" She nearly fell over, but quickly balanced herself.

The blonde child of the moon grinned sheepishly and gave a light shrug of her shoulders before popping another bar of chocolate—Kolanto had become an avid eater of this marvelous treat—into her mouth.

Michiru sighed and sat down next to the Moon senshi.

"So," Usagi said somewhat muffled, "what **exactly** happened?"

+§¤§+

Duo glanced around the corner to make sure no one was watching, then reached into his braid and pulled out a bobby pin. He bent it to make it straight and carefully used it to pick the lock on the door to Haruka's on-base quarters. It clicked and he twisted the knob, sliding the door open, and stepping inside. "I've still got it," he mused with a smile.

Her room was neat, organized, and extremely clean, which was something new to him, for even Relena's quarters were a wreck. There were no open drawers, no clothes throne about, utterly no sign that her sudden departure had been planned. Or, perhaps she had made it so it didn't look like she had planned it.

He spotted a tall dresser towards the back of the room and strode over to it, grabbing the back of her desk chair and dragging it along with him. Pushing the chair up to the dresser's side, he hopped on top of it, stretching an arm up to the top to feel around for anything. "Ah-ha!" he chimed as his fingertips brushed against a smooth, metal surface. He stood on his tiptoes and grabbed hold of one side of the object, pulling it off the top and into his lap as he slipped and fell into the chair.

"Well, what do we have here?" He flipped the object over to find a metal box with a lock on the front. Pulling out the bobby pin from before, he easily picked this lock and opened the lid. "What in the—" Within the box, laying on a foam cushion with a dark velvet blue lining were 4 objects: a short sword with a golden hilt covered in a jewel studded sheath, a gold tiara with a blue jewel at it's tip, a wrist-watch with a decorative pattern, and an odd looking pen…or was it a wand?

He picked up the pen/wand and examined it. "Haruka sure collects some strange antiques." He moved to put it down and select another item to examine when he froze upon hearing the doorknob being twisted.

'_Oh crap_!' Quickly, he shut the box and returned both it and the desk chair to their rightful places and hurriedly moved to hide behind the couch nearest the door. He got there just in time to see two pairs of feminine legs glide through the doorway, leaving the door open behind them.

Taking the open opportunity, he silently crept past them and out the doorway. As soon as he got out of the hallway, he ran for his office.

+§¤§+

"Usagi?" Michiru inquired upon Usagi's sudden turn towards the open doorway.

The blonde senshi shook her head and shrugged. "It's nothing. I just thought I heard something. It was probably my overactive imagination—you know how I am."

Michiru stifled a giggle. "Yes, yes I do." Turning from Usagi, she pushed the desk chair over to the dresser towards the back of the room.

Usagi watched with curiosity. "What're you doing?"

"Getting Haruka's box," Michiru replied as she climbed onto the chair and brought the box down from it's hiding place. "She's so predictable, hiding it up there." She jumped off the chair and sat the box down on the desk so Usagi could see. "It's got all her senshi things in it."

"Ah," the Moon senshi mused, "she doesn't carry them around in her pockets anymore. I used to, but stopped. I had to dig my brooch out underneath the bed before I got here…you know, incase I needed it."

The oceanic senshi nodded. "Yes, I know what you mean." She patted the left pocket of her coat; "I've got mine as well. Now, let's see if I remember her combination to the this thing." She moved to try the lock, only to find the box open. Slowly, Michiru opened the lid to find the objects not sitting in their rightful places in the foam cushioning and her transformation pen missing.

"Perhaps she was indeed kidnapped, Michiru…" Usagi said, absentmindedly bitting her lip.

Michiru sighed heavily, fingering the spot in the foam cushioning where the transformation pen would've been sitting. "If she'd transformed we would've been able to feel her presence. Who ever captured her must've known this and took her transformation pen before she could get to it."

Usagi placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder before standing up with her communicator in hand. "I'll contact the others."

+§¤§+

Duo let out a sigh of relief as he shut the door to his office behind him and leaned back on it, sliding down its length to the floor. "Man, that was a close one." He brought his hand up to his forehead to whip off the sweat gathering there, to find something held within his hand.

"Aw, SHIT!" He glared angrily at the pen/wand still held in his hand. In his haste to get out of there, he'd forgotten to put the blasted thing up. He was loosing his edge; he used to be an expert at sneaking around.

He moved to get up, when fell back down and clutched his head as emotions, images, and sounds engulfed him. After it passed, he lay motionless for a few moments, before springing to his feet and bolting out the door, bound for his Gundam.

He knew where Haruka was.

****

+TBC+

Disclaimer: I have no delusions what so ever of owning either Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. …Okay, perhaps I do… But, I'll never achieve them 'cause I'm too lazy to try. ^.~

****

AN: Sorry it took so long for me to update, but Marching Band has been keeping me tied up as of late. I've gotten somewhat of a break now that UIL Contest is done and over with, but I've got BoA (Bands of America) on Halloween and the Saturday that follows. *sigh* I'll update as often as I can and I intend to make the chapters longer as I do. ^^

10/26/03


	11. Chapter 10

****

Promenade

By: Camigwen

+ Chapter 10 +

Hope was on longer something Haruka could rely on. She had given up hope on hope a long time ago. For a brief while she had thought that maybe someone would come get her, someone would have thought she had been gone for too long. But, alas, no one came. How long had she been in this place of torture and terror--oh, she couldn't remember…time was no longer something she recognized these days.

They had given her some type of drug, one that she could neither name nor describe. She couldn't see what they had given her, being strapped to the table, only feel it. Whatever blood type was flowing through her veins, it was damn good at fighting off these drugs they'd injected her with on a daily basis.

What exactly was in her blood anyway? Last time she checked she was human. A Sailor Senshi, but a human nonetheless. She'd been human for 191 years. Maybe, just maybe to sustain her--considering the normal life span of humans--her Uranian blood was somehow returning. 

Was it insane? Yes.

Was it impossible? No.

Haruka had learned long ago that things were not impossible, especially with her profession and all the crazy, impossible-seeming things she'd been through throughout the years.

The thing that she couldn't quite grasp was how the FBI knew she wasn't originally from Earth. Did they jump to conclusions and automatically assume that she was an alien, so to speak, or did they somehow know that she was once upon a time a little princess growing up on a planet in the outer solar system? No, they couldn't have known. Unless they were in league with an enemy of hers and the other Sailor Senshi, and that was highly unlikely. What would the United States' government team up with a modern day Galaxia?

She sighed, knowing that she would more than likely never have answers to these questions and never have a chance to ask either.

++

Angrily, duo tossed a piece of Gundanium shrapnel against the titanium paneling of the insulated wall. "Dammit!" He knew where Haruka was, knew how she had gotten there, and what had--what **was** happening to her, and here he was with a Gundam that wasn't exactly ready to take flight. He'd thought that the Deathscythe was ready for flight, but at the time the fact that he had asked Quatre to double check the wiring that connected the response systems to both of the legs had completely slipped his mind. Now, his Gundam lay bare and open with wires hanging out from panels that had been removed. 

What use was the God of Death without his scythe? The only other Gundam in this bay that was able to take to the air was--

Wing Zero.

But, did he dare take Heero's Gundam. The thought of piloting a suit that had that blasted Zero System installed within it made his stomach churn, but it was the only thing available to him at the moment.

As he walked over to the Zero, he contemplated which was worse--facing the forces of the legendary US organization or the wrath of Heero Yuy when her discovered that Duo had borrowed his Gundam to rescue a woman he could barely stand.

With a heavy sigh and a gulp, Duo climbed into the Zero, opened the hangar bay doors, and took off in the direction of Roswell, New Mexico, USA.

++

"Agent Sewell, I think you might want to see this."

Slightly annoyed, Sewell strode over to the new agent, who had by some stroke of luck landed his first assignment her at Area 51. "What is it kid?"

The young agent frowned at the use of 'kid' in reference to himself, but quickly composed himself as to not allow his dismay to be expressed in front of a superior agent. "There's an object headed towards the base at an immense speed, sir." He pointed at the blinking dot on the computer screen to show Sewell how close the object was to the base.

"Unidentified?" Sewell asked.

"No exactly, sir. The object appears to be made of Gundanium Alloy."

Sewell's eyes widened. "A Gundam? But, the Gundams were destroyed following the defeat of Treize's brat, Mariemaia. They couldn't have possibly been rebuilt. And what would a Gundam want with that creature?" 

He glanced over to the table, strapped down tight, staring blankly at the ceiling. The drugs hadn't taken effect yet…odd…

++

A panel on the Zero's console flashed, letting Duo know that he'd been detected. "Damn… Well, I guess I couldn't expect anything less from the FBI."

Swiftly, he landed and threw the Zero's cloak on and flipped on the signal jammer. He should've had those on originally, but in his haste to get to this infamous base quickly, he'd completely forgot. Shoving one gun into the holster at his waist and gripping the other one firmly in his right hand, he quickly shoved extra ammo into his pockets and slipped a knife into the book of his left leg.

The base wasn't very far from where he landed and it wasn't that hard to break into it either. He would've thought that Area 51 had better security than that--security that could keep out even a Gundam Pilot. The again, they could've wanted him to come in. Yeah, that must be it. 

Just in case, he cocked his gun and brought it up in a defensive position.

He was ready for whatever the had in store for him

++

Something in the back of her mind caused her to slowly open her eyes and stare at the ceiling. She sensed someone…but who? It wasn't a Sailor Senshi--she would've sensed them immediately…could it be Duo?

No. Definitely not.

Duo was an incompetent fool. He could never in a million years succeed in breaking into a US military base.

**TCB**

****

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing.

****

AN: Yeah, I know I UPDATED!! *dances* Well, marching season's over, so I'll have more time to write now. Um…should I combine my chapters? I was thinking that maybe I should… *shrugs*

1/23/03

In loving memory of Kaleb Andrew Sultenfuss [7/17/03--11/11/03]

In loving memory of Paul Guajardo [6/6/03--11/14/03]


	12. Chapter 11

****

Promenade

By: Camigwen

- Chapter 11 -

Sneaking into Area 51 wasn't too hard for Duo--he'd broke into more heavily guarded bases when he was fifteen-years-old. He was a bit disappointed that breaking into the base didn't give him more of a challenge. It had been a long time since he'd gone into a secret base that he knew nothing about, and it no longer excited him. The rush you got from knowing you could get caught...was gone.

Perhaps it was worry that was overpowering his other emotions. Last time someone he knew was captured and held prisoner, it was Relena during Mariemaia's coup d'état. Then again, he was never as close to Relena as he was to Haruka.

Okay, maybe he wasn't _that_ close to Haruka. However, a strong sense of obligation influenced him to rescue her. There was just something about her that made him feel like he owed her.

He rounded a corner and as if on cue, a group of guards engaged him. Instantly, he turned and bolted down an adjoining hallway. The guards were close behind him, but he was going to avoid confrontation as best he could, but if necessary, he would fight.

He secluded himself in a shadowy corner as an FBI agent, fury written all over his face, stepped out of a nearby room, shouting about always having to do things himself.

When the agent was out of sight, Duo slipped unnoticed into the room he had emerged from. He softly pushed the door shut behind him, sighing in relief.

That had been a little too easy.

The room appeared to be some sort of control room. He scoffed, realizing that the room was vacant. He expected more of the famed FBI, but apparently it was no longer the glory that it was during the 20th Century. If he were a thief, he could easily swipe something and sell it for a pretty penny. However, he had other important matters to attend to.

Duo walked around the room, surveying the premises. He began by the doorway and slowly made his way to the wall opposite the door. There were no control stations on this wall, just a large mirror that nearly covered the wall's span.

He squinted at his reflection, finding it a bit blurry. As he stepped closer, he soon realized that it wasn't a mirror, but a window.

He peered through the window and what he saw made his heart ache.

He'd found what he was looking for.

In the corner of a white padded room was Haruka, huddled up with her legs drawn up to her chest.

Instantly, he searched for a door of some kind and smirked in satisfaction as he located one on the west edge of the mirror. He bolted towards and quickly, using the codes Heero had taught him, broke through the door's security systems and burst into the room.

------

Michiru pressed her fingers to her temples. "We're not even sure that it _is_ a new enemy, Rei," she said to the image of the raven-haired woman displayed on the screen of her communicator.

"Enemy or not," the Martian Senshi responded, "we have to do something about this, Michiru. Whoever captured Haruka captured her for a reason."

"Are you positive it's reason of Senshi matters?" Even though she wanted Haruka back more than anyone, she wasn't about to point fingers at anyone or jump to conclusions. "Even though Haruka teleported right before their eyes, they may just think she's some random alien rather than assume right away that she's a Sailor Senshi."

"What else could it be!?"

Well, she did have a point… Why else would someone capture Haruka? "Look Rei, I'll contact you as soon as Usagi and I come to a decision. Until then, I have some matters to take care of."

Rei sighed, "Alright. I'll be awaiting your call."

The screen went blank and Rei's image faded.

Standing from her chair, Michiru made her way out of her quarters and through the Preventer building, bound for Duo's office. Accidentally, she made a wrong turn and ended up down a corridor with a dead end.

She stopped and turned around, glancing at her surroundings and trying to figure out where she took a wrong turn.

Suddenly, an extremely furious Colonel Yuy brushed past her in a murderous rage. Colonels Chang, Barton, and Winner soon emerged and rushed to catch up with the angry officer.

Michiru stood unblinking for a moment, then shrugged it off. Despite her curiosity in what had pissed Heero Yuy off, she had more important matters to attend to. She continued on walking--

"Wait a second…" Turning she glanced in the direction in which the Colonels had come from. There were no doors, just a solid blank wall at the dead end.

Deciding that her mind was playing tricks on her, she once again continued on.

Eventually, she found her way again and made it to Duo's office. When she arrived, Heero, Trowa, Quatre, and WuFei were crowded around the doorway; Quatre was obviously trying to calm down a still angry Heero.

She jumped as cold blue eyes locked onto her form, the glare emitting from them making her shiver.

Pushing past the other three, Heero stormed down the hallway. Michiru watched in confusion as he made his way back the way he came with his party of three in close pursuit.

"Odd."

Finally able to do what she had originally set out to, she entered Duo's office, only to find the room vacant. Where was he? What could be so important that he'd just leave without--

Colonel Barton…

Instantly, it clicked. Trowa and Duo were both Gundam Pilots. Both of them didn't have many friends, mostly--from what she observed--they hung out with only Heero, Quatre, and WuFei. Did that mean that those three were Gundam Pilots?

The Gundams had been destroyed shortly after Mariemaia Kushrinada's coup d'état. However, she'd heard rumors circulating about that the Gundams had been rebuilt.

Could Duo have…?

Michiru flipped open her communicator. "Usagi? Yes. Listen, I think Duo's gone after Haruka…"

------

Haruka lifted her head to see a blurry figure coming towards her. Good Gods, not again. They'd already injected her with God knows how much crap and just as she was beginning to regain her vision, they were going to inject her again.

She sat motionless in the corner she'd taken refuge in, awaiting Sewell's mockery. However, mockery did not come. 

Instead, the blurry figure kneeled beside her, reaching out an arm, and hesitating, lightly placed a hand on her shoulder.

Her head raised higher and she dropped the arm that was secluding her face and scooted a little father back into her corner.

The hand remained on her shoulder.

Squinting, she studied the hand. It wasn't flesh, at least not on the surface. As her vision cleared more, she could see that the hand was clad in some sort of thick black material. Her eyes trailed up along the arm, to the shoulder, and finally came to rest upon the face.

Her breath caught in her throat and she shook her head fiercely, telling herself that her mind was playing tricks on her again. He hadn't come to rescue her. She was simply hallucinating due to the drugs in her system.

Bolting to her feet in one shaky movement, she wrenched her shoulder from the hand's grasp and hobbled as fast as she could to the other side of the room. Damned drugs were affecting her motor functions.

The hallucination followed, this time moving in front of her, blocking her path.

She mustered her best glare and willed her mind to make him disappear. But, he stayed. Growling, she decided that she could walk right through him. She tried this theory out, but bumped into him and stumbled back.

What the hell?

Reaching out a shaky hand, she touched her fingertips to the smooth material of the black suit he adorned. She flattened her palm out and ran her hand down the material, feeling the warmth of his body through the suit.

Well, she'd give her hallucinations credit: they were damned good with the realism thing.

Her hand still in place, she looked up at him. Much to her dismay, a surge of dizziness swept over her and she began to wobble.

Stepping forward she fell towards the hallucination. She might as well indulge herself with something, even if she'd wake up later bruised on the hard floor.

------

Duo caught her as she fainted, pulling her now light body into his arms. As soon as he was sure that he had a good grip on her, he turned and walked out of the room with her cradled against him, and silently kept through the base until he made his way out the way he came.

Half way to the Zero, he turned around and looked back at the base. Again, that had been way too easy.

Deciding not to complain and stand there with a glowing neon 'Attack Me' sign about their heads, he continued on towards the Zero.

He had to bite his tongue to keep himself from swearing aloud as he came to the borrowed Gundam only to find that the cloak and fallen and there was no a small swarm of FBI agents pelting it with bullets.

Quickly, he ducted behind a bush and settled Haruka into his lap as he pulled out one of the handy new devices Heero and Quatre had developed recently. It had never been tested, so he hoped to the Gods that it would work.

As he set the device for a specified time, he groaned at the sound of bullets clanking off the Gundanium armor. What did those moronic agents think they were doing? All they were accomplishing was scratching the paint--

"Oh shit," he whispered silently, "the paint's getting scratched. Heero is so gonna kill me."

"Not if I kill you first," a very groggy Haruka whispered as she squinted up at him, touched his cheek with her hand, then fainted once more.

Duo smoothed her hair, then gathered up the device in his hand and chunked it at the agents. He ducked, leaning over Haruka in order to protect her from whatever might come their way.

When all seemed clear, he slowly rose and looked around. All the agents lay in a dead sleep, immobile, and would stay that way for a few hours at the least.

Gathering Haruka back into his arms, he carefully stepped over the bodies and got back into the Gundam. Settling Haruka back into his lap, he gripped the controls and took off.

------

Agent Sewell smirked.

"Sir," his second in command, Royjay, informed him, "they've escaped. How come you didn't send back up troops or even the properly train squadrons against him."

Again, he smirked. "Just relax, Royjay, all is going according to plan…"

------

****

To be continued…

__

I do not own **Gundam Wing** or **Sailor Moon**; I am simply a fan.

****

AN: Geez, it took me forever to update. I promise it won't happen again. I had writer's block for a while there, but now I'm buzzing with ideas. =D

03/27/04


End file.
